diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e2a2716..bb4cad4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ import '@github/markdown-toolbar-element'
 
 `<markdown-toolbar>` comes with focus management as advised in [WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices 1.1: Toolbar Design Pattern](https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-practices-1.1/examples/toolbar/toolbar.html). The `md-*` buttons that ship with this package are automatically managed. Add a `data-md-button` attribute to any custom toolbar items to enroll them into focus management.
 
+When built-in buttons connect, they receive an English default `title` only when the attribute is absent and the button has no meaningful text, image `alt`, `aria-label`, or `aria-labelledby` reference. Label references are resolved in the button's document or shadow root and must point to content. Hidden or `aria-hidden` descendants do not count as ordinary button text. During document loading, parser-created children are checked after the document finishes loading. This provides a fallback accessible name and a native tooltip for icon-only buttons. Supply text or ARIA names before inserting the button; later changes do not remove an existing title. Set `title` to localize it, or `title=""` to suppress it when providing a custom tooltip.
+
+Setting `title=""` also removes the fallback accessible name. An icon-only button must then have another accessible name, supplied through visible text, `aria-label`, or `aria-labelledby`. Applications with custom tooltips should suppress the native title to avoid displaying both tooltips.
+
 ## Browser support
 
 Browsers without native [custom element support][support] require a [polyfill][].
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 73e088a..d403305 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -83,6 +83,62 @@ type Style = {
 }
 
 const styles = new WeakMap<Element, Style>()
+const defaultTitles: Record<string, string> = {
+  'md-header': 'Heading',
+  'md-bold': 'Bold',
+  'md-italic': 'Italic',
+  'md-quote': 'Quote',
+  'md-code': 'Code',
+  'md-link': 'Link',
+  'md-image': 'Image',
+  'md-unordered-list': 'Unordered list',
+  'md-ordered-list': 'Ordered list',
+  'md-task-list': 'Task list',
+  'md-mention': 'Mention',
+  'md-ref': 'Reference',
+  'md-strikethrough': 'Strikethrough'
+}
+
+function hasNamingContent(element: Element, ignoreHidden: boolean, allowHiddenRoot = false, isRoot = true): boolean {
+  const style = element.ownerDocument.defaultView?.getComputedStyle(element)
+  const hiddenByStyle = !isRoot && (style?.display === 'none' || style?.visibility === 'hidden')
+  if (
+    ignoreHidden &&
+    ((!allowHiddenRoot &&
+      (element.hasAttribute('hidden') || element.getAttribute('aria-hidden')?.toLowerCase() === 'true')) ||
+      hiddenByStyle)
+  ) {
+    return false
+  }
+  if (element.getAttribute('aria-label')?.trim()) return true
+  if (element.localName === 'img') {
+    return Boolean(element.getAttribute('alt')?.trim())
+  }
+  for (const child of element.childNodes) {
+    if (child.nodeType === 3 && child.textContent?.trim()) return true
+    if (child.nodeType === 1 && hasNamingContent(child as Element, ignoreHidden, false, false)) return true
+  }
+  return false
+}
+
+function getReferencedElement(element: Element, id: string): Element | null {
+  const root = element.getRootNode()
+  if (root.nodeType !== 9 && root.nodeType !== 11) return null
+  return (root as Document).getElementById(id)
+}
+
+function hasAccessibleName(element: Element): boolean {
+  if (element.getAttribute('aria-label')?.trim()) return true
+  const labelledBy = element.getAttribute('aria-labelledby')?.trim()
+  if (labelledBy) {
+    for (const id of labelledBy.split(/\s+/)) {
+      const label = getReferencedElement(element, id)
+      if (label && hasNamingContent(label, true, true)) return true
+    }
+  }
+  return hasNamingContent(element, true, true)
+}
+
 const manualStyles = {
   'header-1': {prefix: '# '},
   'header-2': {prefix: '## '},
@@ -134,6 +190,16 @@ class MarkdownButtonElement extends HTMLElement {
     if (!this.hasAttribute('role')) {
       this.setAttribute('role', 'button')
     }
+    const setDefaultTitle = () => {
+      if (!this.isConnected || this.hasAttribute('title') || hasAccessibleName(this)) return
+      const title = defaultTitles[this.localName]
+      if (title) this.setAttribute('title', title)
+    }
+    if (this.ownerDocument.readyState === 'loading') {
+      this.ownerDocument.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', setDefaultTitle, {once: true})
+    } else {
+      setDefaultTitle()
+    }
   }
 
   click() {
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index 944e174..86cb8c9 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -32,6 +32,22 @@ describe('markdown-toolbar-element', function () {
       'md-strikethrough'
     ]
 
+    const defaultTitles = {
+      'md-header': 'Heading',
+      'md-bold': 'Bold',
+      'md-italic': 'Italic',
+      'md-quote': 'Quote',
+      'md-code': 'Code',
+      'md-link': 'Link',
+      'md-image': 'Image',
+      'md-unordered-list': 'Unordered list',
+      'md-ordered-list': 'Ordered list',
+      'md-task-list': 'Task list',
+      'md-mention': 'Mention',
+      'md-ref': 'Reference',
+      'md-strikethrough': 'Strikethrough'
+    }
+
     for (const tag of buttonTags) {
       it(`sets role="button" on <${tag}> when connected`, function () {
         const el = document.createElement(tag)
@@ -46,6 +62,162 @@ describe('markdown-toolbar-element', function () {
         assert.equal(el.getAttribute('role'), 'none')
       })
     }
+
+    it('sets descriptive default titles on built-in buttons', function () {
+      for (const [tag, title] of Object.entries(defaultTitles)) {
+        const el = document.createElement(tag)
+        document.body.append(el)
+        assert.equal(el.getAttribute('title'), title)
+      }
+    })
+
+    it('preserves an explicit title when a button reconnects', function () {
+      const el = document.createElement('md-bold')
+      el.setAttribute('title', 'Emphasis')
+      document.body.append(el)
+      document.body.removeChild(el)
+      document.body.append(el)
+      assert.equal(el.getAttribute('title'), 'Emphasis')
+    })
+
+    it('preserves an explicit empty title', function () {
+      const el = document.createElement('md-bold')
+      el.setAttribute('title', '')
+      document.body.append(el)
+      assert.equal(el.getAttribute('title'), '')
+    })
+
+    it('does not add a default title when a button has an accessible name', function () {
+      const namedButtons = [
+        {textContent: 'Bold'},
+        {attribute: ['aria-label', 'Emphasis']},
+        {attribute: ['aria-labelledby', 'button-label'], labelText: 'Emphasis'}
+      ]
+
+      for (const namedButton of namedButtons) {
+        const el = document.createElement('md-bold')
+        if (namedButton.textContent) el.textContent = namedButton.textContent
+        if (namedButton.attribute) el.setAttribute(...namedButton.attribute)
+        if (namedButton.labelText) {
+          const label = document.createElement('span')
+          label.id = 'button-label'
+          label.textContent = namedButton.labelText
+          document.body.append(label)
+        }
+        document.body.append(el)
+        assert.isNull(el.getAttribute('title'))
+        document.body.removeChild(el)
+        document.querySelector('#button-label')?.remove()
+      }
+    })
+
+    it('requires a referenced label to contain naming content', function () {
+      const button = document.createElement('md-bold')
+      button.setAttribute('aria-labelledby', 'missing-label')
+      document.body.append(button)
+      assert.equal(button.getAttribute('title'), 'Bold')
+    })
+
+    it('resolves referenced labels in the button root', function () {
+      const host = document.createElement('div')
+      const shadow = host.attachShadow({mode: 'open'})
+      shadow.innerHTML =
+        '<span id="shadow-label" hidden aria-label="Fett"></span><md-bold aria-labelledby="shadow-label"></md-bold>'
+      document.body.append(host)
+      assert.isNull(shadow.querySelector('md-bold').getAttribute('title'))
+    })
+
+    it('adds a default title when supplied names contain only whitespace', function () {
+      const textButton = document.createElement('md-bold')
+      textButton.textContent = '  \n  '
+      document.body.append(textButton)
+      assert.equal(textButton.getAttribute('title'), 'Bold')
+      document.body.removeChild(textButton)
+
+      const ariaButton = document.createElement('md-bold')
+      ariaButton.setAttribute('aria-label', '  ')
+      document.body.append(ariaButton)
+      assert.equal(ariaButton.getAttribute('title'), 'Bold')
+    })
+
+    it('ignores hidden descendant content when deciding whether text is visible', function () {
+      const hiddenTextButton = document.createElement('md-bold')
+      hiddenTextButton.innerHTML = '<span hidden>Not a name</span>'
+      document.body.append(hiddenTextButton)
+      assert.equal(hiddenTextButton.getAttribute('title'), 'Bold')
+      document.body.removeChild(hiddenTextButton)
+
+      const ariaHiddenSvgButton = document.createElement('md-bold')
+      ariaHiddenSvgButton.innerHTML = '<svg aria-hidden="true"><title>Decorative</title></svg>'
+      document.body.append(ariaHiddenSvgButton)
+      assert.equal(ariaHiddenSvgButton.getAttribute('title'), 'Bold')
+
+      const ariaHiddenTextButton = document.createElement('md-bold')
+      ariaHiddenTextButton.innerHTML = '<span aria-hidden="true">Decorative</span>'
+      document.body.append(ariaHiddenTextButton)
+      assert.equal(ariaHiddenTextButton.getAttribute('title'), 'Bold')
+
+      const cssHiddenTextButton = document.createElement('md-bold')
+      cssHiddenTextButton.innerHTML =
+        '<span style="display:none">Decorative</span><span style="visibility:hidden">Decorative</span>'
+      document.body.append(cssHiddenTextButton)
+      assert.equal(cssHiddenTextButton.getAttribute('title'), 'Bold')
+    })
+
+    it('ignores hidden decoration when the host starts display:none', function () {
+      const button = document.createElement('md-bold')
+      button.style.display = 'none'
+      button.innerHTML = '<span aria-hidden="true">Decorative</span>'
+      document.body.append(button)
+      button.style.display = ''
+      assert.equal(button.getAttribute('title'), 'Bold')
+    })
+
+    it('keeps text naming when a hidden host is revealed', function () {
+      const hiddenButton = document.createElement('md-bold')
+      hiddenButton.hidden = true
+      hiddenButton.textContent = 'Gras'
+      document.body.append(hiddenButton)
+      hiddenButton.hidden = false
+      assert.isNull(hiddenButton.getAttribute('title'))
+
+      const ariaHiddenButton = document.createElement('md-bold')
+      ariaHiddenButton.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true')
+      ariaHiddenButton.textContent = 'Gras'
+      document.body.append(ariaHiddenButton)
+      ariaHiddenButton.removeAttribute('aria-hidden')
+      assert.isNull(ariaHiddenButton.getAttribute('title'))
+    })
+
+    it('recognizes image alternative text as an accessible name', function () {
+      const button = document.createElement('md-bold')
+      button.innerHTML = '<img alt="Fett">'
+      document.body.append(button)
+      assert.isNull(button.getAttribute('title'))
+    })
+
+    it('waits for parser-created children before deciding the fallback title', function (done) {
+      const frame = document.createElement('iframe')
+      frame.srcdoc = `
+        <script>
+          class ParserButton extends HTMLElement {
+            connectedCallback() {
+              parent.MarkdownBoldButtonElement.prototype.connectedCallback.call(this)
+            }
+          }
+          customElements.define('md-bold', ParserButton)
+          document.write('<md-bold id="parser-name">Fett</md-bold>')
+        </script>`
+      frame.addEventListener('load', function () {
+        const button = frame.contentDocument.querySelector('#parser-name')
+        if (!button) return
+        assert.equal(button.textContent, 'Fett')
+        assert.isNull(button.getAttribute('title'))
+        frame.remove()
+        done()
+      })
+      document.body.append(frame)
+    })
   })
 
   describe('in shadow DOM', function () {